Mikkelson, 25, is the third player to sign with Vasteras during the work stoppage. St. Louis Blues winger Patrik Berglund joined in mid-September while Flames center Mikael Backlund latched on in early October.

Taken 31st overall by Anaheim at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Mikkelson struggled to get into the lineup with both the Ducks (who put him on waivers) and Flames (who traded him to the Lightning in January.)

Yet he found his niche upon arriving in Tampa, playing a career-high 41 games while averaging over 14 minutes a night — impressive enough for the Lightning to sign Mikkelson to a one-year, one-way deal in July.

As for the Vasteras signing…

The Allsvenskan adds yet another NHLer to the mix and continues to bring in the type of talent not normally seen at the tier two level.